An Act designating the Pine Barrens treefrog as the New Jersey
State Amphibian, and supplementing chapter 9A of Title 52 of the Revised
Statutes.

Whereas, The Pine Barrens treefrog was first documented
in New Jersey and was named for its habitat in the Pinelands, a unique 1.1 million
acre ecosystem in southern New Jersey that supports a diverse range of plant
and animal species, many of which are dependent on the special ecological
conditions present in the Pinelands for their survival; and

Whereas, The Pine Barrens treefrog is found only in three
locations worldwide: the New Jersey Pinelands, the panhandle area of Florida
and Alabama, and the sandhills of North and South Carolina; and

Whereas, The vibrant green coloring of the Pine Barrens
treefrog, marked by a bold purple stripe with a white border down each side of
the body, make it one of the most beautiful amphibians in New Jersey and the
nation; and

Whereas, The Pine Barrens treefrog is commonly recognized
as a symbol of New Jersey wildlife and of the New Jersey Pinelands, gracing the
pages of many publications, as well as appearing on the Motor Vehicle
Commission’s State Pinelands license plate and in renowned artist Andy Warhol’s
1983 screen print series of endangered species; and

Whereas, In order to thrive, the Pine Barrens treefrog
requires specialized sandy, acidic habitats with dense ground cover and shallow
ponds, such as Atlantic white cedar swamps and pitch pine lowlands, that are
rare elsewhere but common in the Pinelands region of southern New Jersey; and

Whereas, In 1979, the Pine Barrens treefrog was listed by
the State of New Jersey as an endangered species due to its declining
population, habitat loss, and the pollution of its breeding ponds; and

Whereas, In 2003, the status of the Pine Barrens treefrog
was upgraded from an endangered species to a threatened species based on
improved population numbers and a determination that its habitat in the State
is well protected by the New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan,
and for this reason, the Pine Barrens treefrog is considered a success story in
New Jersey wildlife preservation; and

Whereas, Because of vast expanses of protected habitat
within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, the State serves as the
largest stronghold for the Pine Barrens treefrog throughout its entire range;
and

Whereas, Increasing the public profile of the Pine
Barrens treefrog will encourage efforts to ensure conservation of the species,
its habitat, and other valuable natural resources in New Jersey; and

Whereas, Due to the uniqueness and importance of the Pine
Barrens treefrog and its Pinelands habitat, it is appropriate and fitting that
the Pine Barrens treefrog be granted special recognition; now, therefore,

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Pine Barrens
treefrog (Hyla andersonii) is designated as the New Jersey State
Amphibian.

2. This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill designates the Pine
Barrens treefrog (Hyla andersonii) as the New Jersey State Amphibian.
The bill is inspired by the efforts of two students, Andrew Zhong and Brian
Zhong, in Ms. Barbara Osburn’s fifth grade class at Millstone River Elementary
School, Plainsboro, New Jersey. In response to their efforts, the New Jersey
Pinelands Commission has endorsed the designation of the Pine Barrens treefrog
as the State Amphibian. The designation also has garnered support from New
Jersey wildlife specialists and organizations, including the New Jersey
Audubon Society and Herpetological Associates, Inc.

The Pine Barrens treefrog is
named for its habitat in the Pine Barrens region of southern New Jersey, also
known as the Pinelands. The New Jersey Pinelands is one of only three
locations worldwide where the Pine Barrens treefrog is found, and the Pinelands
serves as the largest stronghold for the species due to its vast expanses of
protected habitat. The Pine Barrens treefrog, once endangered and currently
listed by the State as a threatened species, has been long recognized as a
beautiful symbol of New Jersey wildlife. Affording it special recognition as
the State Amphibian will help encourage conservation of the species, its
habitat, and other valuable natural resources in the State.